


A Fateful Encounter

by BuryTheCastle



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ballet Dancer Katsuki Yuuri, College, Detroit, Grocery Store, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 00:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10843119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuryTheCastle/pseuds/BuryTheCastle
Summary: Yuuri wasn't that short. If anything, he was an average height. No, it was the grocery store's fault. With the store so understaffed and the shelves so poorly stocked, how can anyone reach anything? At least, Yuuri can say something good came out of his ordeal. After all, he had quite a fateful encounter.





	A Fateful Encounter

Honestly, Yuuri wasn’t even _that_ short. Sure, he was a maybe a little below average in the United States, but he certainly wasn’t short. There was absolutely no reason that he should have spent the last seven minutes on the tip of his toes, trying to reach a package on the top shelf in a grocery store.

 

When Yuuri first moved to Detroit, before his first year of college, he very quickly learned of this international supermarket, located not too far from his dorm on campus.  It was unusually large for a grocery store, at least twice the size of the average American supermarket and with a selection just as large. In general, Yuuri could find whatever he needed at the local grocery store. However, when he was missing the taste of home, this market was his number one place to go. Now, it was slightly further away from the apartment he shared with his best friend Phichit, but he was more than willing to make the 30 minute walk every once in awhile.

 

Unfortunately for Yuuri, it seemed like the market was a bit short staffed today. Few workers were around, and many of the shelves were poorly stocked. As luck would have it, the shelf Yuuri needed was practically empty. Only a few packages of Yuuri’s favorite Japanese rice remained, pressed against the back of the deep grocery store shelves.

 

Yuuri tried his reach once, going up on his toes to gain some leverage. When that proved futile, he tried again and again, twisting his body in different positions in an attempt to gain more reach. He was thankful for his dance training, rising as far as his ballet-trained feet would allow him. Still, he couldn’t do more than just barely graze the bag. Without a worker in sight, he soon realized that he wouldn’t be getting the rice.

 

After his sixth failed attempt, he gave up, settling on another brand on one of the lower shelves when a voice came from behind him.

 

“Do you need some help with that?”

 

Before Yuuri could even turn around, a long arm reached around him, plucking one of the packages down. Yuuri twisted around to be greeted by the sight of a handsome face, beautiful blue eyes and silver hair. The man held the package out to Yuuri with a smile.

 

“Thank you,” Yuuri said as he accepted it from the handsome stranger.

 

“You’re quite welcome,” he said. He flashed a brilliant a grin before sauntering off down the aisle. It was only when he disappeared out of sight that Yuuri realized he had been staring. He chided himself for ogling the man, feeling his face heat in the process.

 

Yuuri went on with his shopping, pushing aside his encounter with the handsome stranger to the back of his mind.  He cursed the large market; he had been there for almost 40 minutes and he still wasn’t done. Thankfully there were only a few  more item left on his list: a handful of Thai snacks requested by Phichit. Making his way back over to the Asian section, he scanned the aisles until he found the Thai section.  He made his way through it, picking up all his roommate’s favorites from his homeland. The last item was a bag of prawn crackers. His eyes quickly went up to where he knew they were, only to find…

 

Oh. Oh no.

 

Surely, the gods must have been laughing at him. The crackers were just as poorly stocked as his rice had been earlier, if not worse. Yuuri deliberated leaving without them, but he knew they were Phichit’s favorite. At the very least, he could try to get them down. So with a sigh, he resumed his position in relevé, occasionally adding a hop in a futile effort to reach the bag.

 

There was a low, warm chuckle behind him. Yuuri twisted around, landing flat on his feet. Behind him stood the handsome stranger from earlier, looking quite amused at Yuuri’s repeated predicament.

 

“Today isn’t your lucky day, is it?”

 

_I’m feeling pretty lucky._

 

The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow. Yuuri’s cheeks flushed. He had said that out loud.

 

“A-after all, you’ve been there to help me.” His voice was a tad higher than usual. The stranger’s lips quirked into a smile. He stepped past Yuuri, reaching up to retrieve the bag. Yuuri noted with a hint of relief that even the tall man had to go on his toes a little to get the bag down. He pulled it from the shelf, quickly inspecting it before holding it out to Yuuri. Their fingers brushed slightly as he took it, sending slight tingles down Yuuri’s spine.

 

“I must say, I’m surprised to have run into you again in such a large store. Are all markets in this country quite so large?” The man had an accent, Yuuri noticed. Russian, perhaps?

 

“Not quite, but this is one is definitely the best in Detroit. It’s my favorite one to come to. And, um...”

 

Yuuri trailed off as the Russian man’s bright blue eyes stared into his own, effectively making him lose his train of thought. The man hummed in understanding. Yuuri noticed him shift a little, looking out towards the aisle before looking back to Yuuri.

 

“Well,” he started, a bit of humor in his voice, “looks like today might be my lucky day as well.” He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly with the hand that wasn’t holding his basket. “You see, I was hoping to check out but…” He trailed off, and the look he gave Yuuri was so much like a lost puppy. Yuuri laughed.

 

“Don’t worry,” he said in between laughs. “I got lost the first time I came here. I’m ready to check out, so I can lead you to the registers if you’d like.”

 

The man’s face brightened, and he nodded enthusiastically. The two walked throughout the store, Yuuri navigating. The Russian turned towards Yuuri.

 

“If I may, can I ask the name of my savior today?”

 

Yuuri’s cheeks tinted pink. “Yuuri. Katsuki Yuuri. And if anyone is a savior here, it’s you. I’d probably still be trying to get those stupid prawn crackers down if you hadn’t come along.”

 

The man grinned. “It was my pleasure, Yuuri. You can call me Victor. Victor Nikiforov.”

 

Yuuri and Victor made their way to the registers, quickly paying for their groceries. They exited the store, stopping by the door and facing each other.

 

“Well,” Yuuri started, “I should be heading back now. Thanks again, Victor.”

 

Victor nodded. “Of course. May we meet again, Yuuri.”

 

With a final smile exchanged, the two made their separate ways. Or at least, they tried. It was about 10 steps in when Yuuri realized he was not alone. He laughed.

 

“If I didn’t know any better, Victor, I’d say you’ve been following me today,” Yuuri teased. He slowed his stride a bit to fall in line with Victor.

 

Victor chuckled, throwing his hands up. “Pure coincidence, I assure you.” A hint of mischief glinted in his blue eyes. “Or maybe, fate, perhaps?” He teased, adding a wink for good measure. Victor practically glowed as he watched a faint blush spread across Yuuri’s cheeks.

 

“”S-so,” Yuuri stuttered, clearly trying to change the subject, “where are you off to?”

 

“The local pet daycare. I was out of town these last few days and needed a place to look after my dog.”

 

“Oh?”

Victor nodded. He shifted the bag in his right hand to his left so that he could pull out his phone from his pocket. He opened his photos, immediately pulling up a certain collection. He handed over the phone for Yuuri to see. Yuuri’s face lit up in delight. Victor had hundreds of photos of a large poodle with fluffy, silvery-brown curls and a sweet face. There was a large variety of photos: the dog napping on a couch, hiding in a field of flowers, playing with other dogs at a park. There were copious amounts of selfies of Victor cuddling with his dog as well. With each passing picture, Yuuri found himself falling more and more in love with Victor’s dog that reminded him so much of his own back in Japan.

 

“He’s beautiful,” Yuuri gushed, handing Victor back his phone.

 

Victor beamed. “That’s Makkachin, my pride and joy.” Victor pocketed his phone, evenly distributing his bags again. “I normally leave him with a neighbor when I travel, but I’m going to be here for a while. I couldn’t bear to be without him for so long. “ Victor paused. “I’m from Russia, by the way. St. Petersburg. I don’t believe I mentioned.”

 

“I figured. I’m actually from Japan myself. A small town named Hasetsu. My family owns a hot spring inn there.”

 

Victor’s eyes lit up. “Wow, Yuuri! That’s amazing.” Victor exclaimed, clapping his hand for good measure. “I’ll have to visit the next time I’m in Japan.”

 

Yuuri raised an eyebrow at that. “Have you been before?”

 

Victor’s eyes seemed to light up at that. “Oh, yes.” He nodded enthusiastically. “My job has me traveling quite a bit. I must say, it’s probably one of my favorite countries to be in. The food, the sights.” He caught Yuuri’s eyes, giving him a quick wink. “The people.” Victor delighted in the way Yuuri’s ears reddened.

 

“W-wow. That’s interesting. May I ask what you do?”

 

Victor grinned. “I skate,” he said. “Professional men’s figure skating, to be precise.”

 

Yuuri’s eyes went wide. His face broke out into a wide smile, and Victor could swear his eyes were sparkling. “Wow,” he breathed. “That’s amazing.”

 

Growing up, Yuuri always loved figure skating. At the suggestion of Minako, his ballet instructor, he began taking lessons when he was young. He loved it. He made good friends from the sport, too. Yuuko was only a few years older, but her skating was already so beautiful in Yuuri’s mind. From day one she looked out for Yuuri, encouraging him whenever he fell and praising him when he did well. Yuuri looked up to her tremendously. Takeshi, on the other hand, was a different story. He was both older and bigger than Yuuri, and he often took to bullying him, be it knocking him over on the ice or teasing him about the extra bit of baby fat that he had yet to shed. Still, as the boys grew older, they also grew closer. Takeshi had long moved past bullying Yuuri. He, along with Yuuko, were Yuuri’s closest friends from back home. Yuuri was thankful to the sport for that. His shy nature and antisocial tendencies often made it difficult for him to make and keep friends.

 

Still, while he loved the sport tremendously, in the end, he let it go. It was not a decision made lightly. He discussed it with Minako for quite some time. He was a talented athlete, that she was sure of. And she believed that he could make it as a professional in whatever it was he decided to pursue. Ballet or figure skating, she’d support him either way. In the end, he chose ballet.

 

While he sometimes wonders what could have been, he doesn’t regret his decision for an instant. It was through ballet that he was able to follow in his instructor’s footsteps, travelling the world with Minako and doing what he loved. It was through ballet that he came to settle down in America, following his teacher as she was given a great opportunity to work as an instructor in Detroit. His education in Detroit led to him meeting Phichit, a man whose presence in Yuuri’s life had been a blessing time and time again.

 

No matter what could have been, Yuuri was glad for the path he chose.

 

“Are you a fan of the sport?” Victor asked. Yuuri nodded.

 

“I was, yes. I’m afraid I fell out of it a few years ago. I used to skate, though. Until dance took over my life.”

 

That intrigued Victor. “Dance?”

 

Yuuri nodded. He explained how he danced professionally, leaving out some of the larger details of his travels. He told Victor how he was double majoring in dance and operations management. He planned to continue dancing professionally upon his graduation. Then, once he retired, he would most likely return to Japan to help run his family’s resort. His dream, though, was to have a dance studio of his own.

 

Victor listened with rapt attention as Yuuri talked. It wasn’t until he finished that Yuuri realized how much he actually told this stranger. It normally took him some time to open up to someone so much, and yet, in less than an hour, Victor had effortlessly blown past that wall of his.

 

‘You’re amazing, Yuuri,” Victor breathed, and Yuuri could see in his eyes that he meant it. Yuuri shied from Victor’s praise, averting his eyes. Victor chuckled.

 

When Victor began to slow, Yuuri followed suit, taking in their surroundings. They were stopped in front of a charming, little white building. A white-painted wooden sign on the lawn read “Animal Boarding” next to the silhouettes of a dog and cat.

 

“Well, this is my stop,” Victor said.

 

“I see.” Yuuri tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He was enjoying the company. Victor chewed at his lip, clearly mulling over what to say next.

 

“You know,” he started, “you’re welcome to come meet Makkachin. Only if you want to, of course.”

 

Yuuri smiled. The rational part of his brain urged him to head on home. Friendly or not, Victor was still a stranger. A kind, funny, attractive stranger, but a stranger nonetheless. Still, he wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the man. Plus, Yuuri couldn’t resist the chance to meet Victor’s dog. He missed his dog back in Japan tremendously. The pictures of Makkachin reminded him of his beloved Vicchan.

 

Yuuri nodded. Victor’s bright blue eyes lit up. He ushered Yuuri inside the building, holding the door open for him to enter.

 

As Victor talked to the receptionist and filled out the necessary paperwork, Yuuri sat on one of the couches in the waiting area. He pulled out his phone, sending a text to his roommate.

 

_Me > So I might be out a little longer than expected. I took an….unexpected detour._

_Phichit > Everything ok?_

_Me > Yeah everything’s fine. I kinda met someone at the supermarket. He’s showing me his dog._

_Phichit > You’re at his house??? Damn Yuuri you move quick._

_Phichit > Spending the night? He cute? Use protection. Tell me everything!_

Yuuri felt his face burn. He furiously typed away at his phone.

 

_Me > NO_

_Me > We’re just picking up his dog from a boarding house. He invited me to meet his poodle._

_Phichit > A cutie with a dog. Sounds perfect. He is cute, right?_

 

Yuuri glanced around, afraid that someone might be reading over his shoulder. Victor was a safe distance away, still talking to the receptionist. They were the only two in the waiting area.

 

_Me > Yes_

_Phichit > What’s his name?_

_Me > You are not gonna stalk the random guy I met at the grocery store._

_Phichit > Yuuri, sweetie, that’s my job._

 

Yuuri sighed. He knew there was no use fighting it. Phichit would get it out of him sooner or later.

 

_Me > Victor Nikiforov_

 

Not even 30 seconds later, Yuuri’s phone buzzed.

 

_Phichit > DAMN_

_Phichit > If you don’t want him I’ll take him._

_Me > Phichit!_

_Phichit > Kidding ;p All yours. He’s a figure skater?_

_Me > Yeah. In Russia._

_Phichit > Russia? Long way from home._

_Me > Says the Thai man talking to the Japanese man._

_Phichit > True. Cute dog. He skates internationally?_

_Me > I guess? Didn’t get that far._

_Phichit > Is he any good? I’m gonna look him up._

 

Yuuri rolled his eyes. As he looked up, he noticed a bundle of brown fur being led to Victor.

 

_Me > You do that. Gotta go. Talk to you later._

 

Yuuri put his phone away in time to see a large poodle excitedly jumping around Victor’s legs. He ruffled the dog’s fur lovingly before leading him over to Yuuri.

 

“Yuuri, meet Makkachin.”

 

Yuuri pushed himself off the chair, crouching down to greet the poodle. He smiled.

 

“Hello, Makkachin.”

 

There was a yap and a flash of brown, and the next thing Yuuri knew, he was lying flat on his back. Makkachin was lying on top of his body, his paws on top of Yuuri’s chest and licking his face enthusiastically.

 

“Makka, no!” Victor frantically pulled the dog off. He helped Yuuri to sit up, a guilty look on his face. “Are you ok? I’m so sorry about him. He doesn’t usually jump on people like that.” Victor shot his canine companion a reproachful look; Makkachin didn’t look the slightest bit chastised. To the Russian’s surprise, Yuuri just laughed.

 

“It’s alright. He’s just being friendly.” Yuuri took Makkachin’s face between his hands and nuzzled up against him. “Aren’t you, boy?” Makkachin responded by licking Yuuri’s cheek, causing him to giggle. Victor’s expression softened at the sight.

 

Victor grabbed Yuuri’s grocery bags with one hand and used the other to pull Yuuri up from the ground. When Yuuri was settled, he handed him his bags before gathering up his own packages and Makkachin’s leash.

 

“Shall we?” Victor asked. Yuuri nodded.

 

They made their way out of the animal boarding house. Makkachin snuggled close by Yuuri’s side, much to his delight. Victor chuckled. “He really likes you.”

 

As they continued along their path, they chatted amiably. Yuuri felt his phone buzz a few times in his pocket; he ignored it for now. It was probably just Phichit relaying more of his findings.

 

All too soon, the perimeter of the campus came into view. There were only a few more minutes before he’d have to turn on his street.

 

He didn’t want to say goodbye to Victor. The Russian was kind and charming. He had only known Yuuri for a few hours, and yet they spoke so easily as if they had been friends for months. It had been quite some time since Yuuri met someone who pushed past his usual barriers so easily. Meeting this man was almost like a dream. A dream he had to wake up from sooner or later.

 

Yuuri slowed to a stop at his street.

 

“Well, Victor….this is my stop.”

 

Yuuri didn’t quite know what to say. That he wanted to see him again? That these last few hours of chatting were some of the best few hours Yuuri had had in awhile? In the end, he stuck his hand out for a simple handshake.

 

“I had a great time.”

 

Victor took his hand and gave it a firm shake, but he didn’t release it.

 

“As did I, Yuuri.” He pulled Yuuri’s hand to his lips, pressing the lightest of kisses on his knuckles. A light blush dusted Yuuri’s cheeks; he felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach. “May we meet again.”

 

With a last charming smile in Yuuri’s direction, Victor was gone. Yuuri watched the man and dog’s retreating forms until they were small shapes in the distance. With a sigh, Yuuri turned down his street and returned back to his usual routine.

 

Yuuri opened the door to his apartment, noting the emptiness of it. Phichit must have been out. Yuuri put the plastic bags on the counter and began to unpack them. Something small and white caught his attention. He pulled it out.

 

It was a card from the animal boarding house. Yuuri stared at it, puzzled as to how it got there. When he flipped it over, he noticed a phone number scribbled onto the backside of the card - a number that was very much so not local. Yuuri laughed. Victor must have slipped it in when he handed Yuuri his bags. Smooth.

 

He’d text Victor later. For now, he had to hurry and get ready to go to Minako’s studio. He slipped the card into his wallet before putting away the last of the groceries and changing into his dance clothes. He grabbed his dance bag and phone and was out the door.

 

***

 

Yuuri stretched, cooling down from his dance practice. Minako watched him thoughtfully.

 

“Did something good happen?” She asked. “Your dancing was different today. Lighter.”

 

Yuuri maneuvered into right splits, stretching forward to grab his pointed foot. He was thankful that the position allowed him to hide the light blush on his face.

 

“I….uh….met someone. I think he wants to see me again? He gave me his number.”

 

Minako’s eyes widened slightly. She had known Yuuri since he was a baby, and she had never once heard of him dating anyone, or even going on a casual date. The boy was reclusive, and his love life had suffered for it. Whoever this guy was must have been pretty special. The surprised look on Minako’s face melted to a mischievous grin.

 

“Oh?” She crouched down so that she was level with Yuuri, leaving him with less room to hide. He switched legs, shifting his face away from his smirking instructor.

 

“Yeah.” He maneuvered into middles splits. “He’s a Russian figure skater. Pretty interesting, huh?”

 

Minako hummed. “Impressive. Does he skate internationally?”

“Not sure.” Yuuri then remembered his phone’s frantic buzzing earlier. “Actually, I think Phichit was checking that for me. Let me go see.” Yuuri pushed himself up. He walked over to where his dance bag was and fished around for his phone.

 

“What’s his name?” Minako called.

 

Yuuri found his phone. “Victor Nikiforov.”

 

There was a loud thump. Yuuri whipped his head around to where his instructor had fallen from her crouched position.  Her eyes were wide and Yuuri wasn’t entirely sure she was breathing. He rushed over to her, quickly kneeling beside her.

 

“Minako-sensei! What’s wrong?” He checked her over for any sign of what could be wrong. She was starting to hyperventilate.

 

“Y-y-you….” She stammered. “Victor Nikiforov!? He….You….!” She pointed frantically to Yuuri’s phone.

 

“What about Victor?” He unlocked his phone, curious as to what she was so frantically pointing to. He was met with ten text notifications, all from Phichit.

 

_Phichit > YUURI_

_Phichit > HOLY SHIT_

_Phichit > YUURI GET HIS NUMBER RIGHT NOW_

_Phichit > YOU’RE LITERALLY TALKING TO VICTOR NIKIFOROV AKA THE RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATING LEGEND ACCORDING TO EVERY SOURCE EVER_

_Phichit > This man’s got more gold in his trophy case than a jewelry store._

_Phichit > Yuuri are you seriously on a date with a world champion athlete??? HOW???_

_Phichit > He won gold in two separate Olympics. He’s won the last five World Championships and he’s been practically unbeatable in some other world competitions since he became a senior._

_Phichit > DID YOU GET HIS NUMBER???_

_Phichit > You know more about this sport than I do. I’m gonna send you this article. I have to go meet some people but we are talking about this when I get home!_

 

The last text was a link to an article. When Yuuri clicked it, a page on a sports journal opened up. It was an article on a single athlete, and lo and behold, the silver-haired Russian from earlier was plastered across the page. Yuuri turned the phone to Minako, who nodded frantically. She had calmed down some and at least was not hyperventilating anymore. Yuuri scanned the article with wide eyes.

 

_This_ was the man who had helped him in the market. _This_ was the man whose dog Yuuri shamelessly snuggled up against. This _World Champion_ was the one who had slipped Yuuri his phone number.

 

His phone number! Yuuri quickly went to his bag and found the card tucked away in his wallet. He punched the number into his phone before opening up his texts.

 

_Me > Hello, Victor. It’s Yuuri from earlier._

 

Yuuri waited in anticipation for a few minutes. Minako had recovered tremendously and was watching over Yuuri’s shoulder. Both stared impatiently at the phone until a new text appeared.

 

_Victor > Hi Yuuri! I’m glad you got my card ;)_

 

Minako practically squealed.

 

_Me > Haha me too. Hey um I have a quick question._

_Victor > What is it?_

_Me > You said you were a figure skater, right?_

_Victor > Yes, I am._

_Me > You wouldn’t happen to be…...the unbeatable Grand Prix champion, world champion, Olympic champion Victor Nikiforov?_

 

Yuuri and Minako both held their breath as they waited for Victor’s response.

 

_Victor > I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. Are you surprised?_

 

Surprised didn’t even begin to cover it. He was completely astounded. How did he, of all people, manage to catch the eye of someone like Victor? _By being too short in a grocery store, that’s how._

 

_Me > Just a little. _

 

He glanced back at his ballet instructor, who had to take a seat near the wall to avoid another panic attack.

 

_Me > I think my ballet instructor is even more surprised. She’s a bit of a fan._

_Victor > I’ll be sure to meet her then._

_Me > I think I’ll wait to tell her that. I don’t know if she can take anymore today._

_Victor > Good plan. In the meantime, can I interest you in coffee? I’m free tomorrow if you’re available._

 

Yuuri stared at his phone. Victor Nikiforov, the world champion athlete with the face of an angel and the sweetest of dogs, was asking _him_ out on a date. He almost laughed. Yuuri could hardly talk to anyone outside of his close friends and his family. His first date, and it was with this man. Oh man. Phichit was gonna freak when he found out. Yuuri smiled down at his phone.

 

_Me > I’d like that very much._

 

Yuuri wasn’t quite sure how this happened. One minute he was shopping at the supermarket. The next, he was planning a date with an internationally famous, world-class athlete.

 

He must have been dreaming for sure.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by true events. I am vertically challenged and happen to live by a large international market. The day I happened to go to get some mochi ice cream I was really looking forward to was the day that they happened to be really understaffed. And what item was poorly stocked and on the top shelf of a tall freezer? You guessed it. My mochi ice cream. Sadly there were no attractive Russians with cute dogs around to give me a hand. *sigh*
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. School's out finally so hopefully I should be able to do a lot more writing, so look out for more writing. Also shout out to my friend thishasbeencary for staying on my case so I'd finish this story. If you haven't already, go read her stuff. She's pretty cool.


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